My Mistress
by Serenading Blossom
Summary: It was another dreary autumn day. / It was time to free my little caged bird.


Soro-chan: So I realize I haven't exactly been active lately aside from some reviewing and PMing because I said I stopped writing. I did, but then I found this little piece in my documents and thought I'd upload it or something as a oneshot. It doesn't feel completed, but I'm going to leave it there anyways.

Oddly enough, it's in Ikuto's point of view. Well, enjoy!

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><p>My Mistress<p>

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><p>It was another dreary autumn day.<p>

"Tea, love?"

"...That'd be alright."

"Which kind?"

"Any."

"That didn't turn out well the last time you requested that."

"The usual."

"You never drink tea often."

"Is that so?"

Silence.

"Look at me."

I didn't.

Normally, I would never gaze into her soulless eyes because I knew that if I did, I would never be able to pull myself out of her despairing gaze.

It wasn't my fault she had to marry me in order to save her family from the dark depths of poverty. I did what I had to do in order to win over her love, but it wasn't enough for me to simply try to court her the way the other men interested in her did, for she only cared about her family. Well, if thought of carefully, then perhaps it was my fault.

As an intelligent genius, of course the only way to the path of her heart was her loved ones. So indeed, I took the necessary steps to corner their little painting stand and drop them completely out of business—it was difficult to find a painter that outmatched the skill of her father, goodness, I had to find that one all the way from Italy—and so their family quickly fell from the mere middle of society.

It was difficult for her as well, I should have known but instead I pretended to be blind to their issues. Having already befriended her long ago, she asked me for help, begging me on the sweet fair skin of her knees if there was anything she could do.

But my plan wouldn't allow to just help her and let her be on her way! Absurd, really, to even for a moment think of dragging my careful scheming for her hand down the drain and let her fly out of the miserable cage I had placed her family in. Of course, at the moment I hadn't thought quite of a situation to ask her to be my bride, so I quietly replied that there was nothing I could possibly do at the moment. I lied to her, saying I had no power in my family, that I hadn't gained the right to do so yet.

A week later, after doing some deep thinking and reflecting, I remembered the last conversation I had with the beauty and found the perfect idea. If I married her, then of course that would put me into the grand position of power in the family as the heir to my family... Though I must say, I really had no interest in inheriting the company my father owned before that.

Eccentric, I quickly made my way to her small home, finding her and her family sadly packing away their belongings. Before they could speak, I quickly proposed the idea to her parents for the love of my life was currently out, and they immediately agreed. As I sat to join them for tea, delightfully serving me some Assam, they told me they planned to leave to another province in order to find good business again. The Italian I had moved in had completely destroyed their income, and the debt they were in was deep. Guilt tracked its prints along my soul, but I grit my teeth through the stories of their harsh experiences.

In the middle of the other daughter bawling through a time of darkness, my dearest walked in, holding a satchel heavily filled to the brim with dollars and coins.

"Where did you get all that money?" I said in shock. How could she have gotten so much in so little time? It had only been a week. No wonder the family was planning to move, for once they got rid of their debt (which that satchel looked as though it could easily pay off with all those hundreds piled to the edges), they would have enough money to move as well.

The family was silent.

"It couldn't be."

Her mother stood up and placed a single, trembling hand on my shoulder. "My child, go with this man. Do not come with us to the next home."

The woman was about to retaliate, as though she were to ask in a rage why her family did not want her to come despite all she had gone through, when the hand on my body tightened. I knew just as her hand had, the mother's expression was also firm.

The father also stood up and walked over to his eldest daughter, whispering something into her ears that have left her tears falling without end.

The following hour, her family left. The following day, her status had become my bride. And the following year lies this very day... And the guilt, metallic gray and heavy in the form of chains, continues to follow and bind me.

Her voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

"It is our anniversary," she said quietly, pouring me a random tea. "Have some chamomile."

"I dislike chamomile."

Her expression did not change in the slightest. "Then I shall pour you oolong."

Some sort of need to find an emotion came over me.

"I also do not feel in the mood for oolong."

"Surely you have no problem with green?"

"Sick to death of it."

"Earl grey?"

"Never."

"Royal."

"Not a chance."

"Black?"

"That would sound nice..." I mused her for only a second. "But alas, no."

The cup that was supposed to be mine was placed down.

"It seems you are not in the mood for tea at all."

I continued to read through my documents, noticing that again she had no emotion whatsoever.

"It seems so."

I already knew she was crying when the teardrops from her face landed on the cold marble floor, breaking the silence of the room. Still, my head did not turn away from the surface of my desk despite my efforts bringing forth fruit. It didn't make me feel any better.

"I shall take my leave then. Happy anniversary...Ikuto."

Her steps echoed as she walked out and closed the door softly. I waited until her footsteps could no longer be heard before cleaning my desk and readying the proper documents.

"Happy anniversary, my sweet Amu."

Signing my name carefully on the divorce papers that were hidden beneath the other parchments, I quickly rolled them up and stood from my chair.

It was time to free my little caged bird.

With a whisper, I only slightly smiled to myself, picking up the tea cup she had left on my desk.

"I enjoy Assam."

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><p>Soro-chan: I probably won't post anything unless I happen to come across something I've written long ago and decide to post it. But for now I hoped you enjoyed this little story!<p>

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><p>Hot, perverted nekos visit the dreams of those who review...<p> 


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